14 replies to this topic

[Jeff Hunt]

Cooper or Sharp Shinned?

Thanks in advance.

Jeff

[TheBillyPilgrim]

Cooper's for me based on head shape.

[SuzanneO]

I would say Sharp-shinned on this. The legs appear thin and the head seems small. The tail looks 'sharp'. I think the tail looks long due to the photo angle.

[SuzanneO]

Have any other shots, Jeff?

[BarnSwallow]

I thought sharpie, too. The tail looks pretty swuare, and it has that bug-eyed look.

[ellie87]

My first thought was sharpie also, though I'm no expert.

[Jeff Hunt]

Here is another shot of the same bird, this one from a couple of days ago.

Cheers,

Jeff

[Parula]

this is a coopers hawk

[meghann]

I'm with Parula on this one. That is a really defined neck.

[Liam]

On a starling? Cooper's.

[meghann]

This also isn't very official or scientific, but usually, when it's a Sharpie, I open the thread and think "Awww!"

I did not think that about this hawk. Lol.

[SuzanneO]

On a starling? Cooper's.

I thought the same thing, but it could be a large Sharpie. I still think the legs look too thin for a Cooper's, especially in the second photo. The head looks smallish to me.
Jeff, I take it you don't have a photo showing the breast?

[SuzanneO]

I found this great Cornell comparison. If you scroll down to the tricky juvies, the Cooper's looks very good for Jeff's bird. They kind of write off the thin legs as they take in the other attributes. It's too bad they don't have a back shot of the Sharpie. The second set of shots shows the more familiar thick legs and big head of the Cooper's and the thin legs and smaller head of the Sharpie. One thing I found I never knew was to look for the Sharpie to have his head 'scrunched' down more than the Cooper's. Sorry, Jeff, I guess I spoke too soon on this one, those legs got me.

http://www.birds.cor...ipiterphoto.htm

Sue

[Jeff Hunt]

Here is another pic that may or may not help. When I saw this bird take the starling right out of a tree it then took it to the ground and sat on it for a couple of minutes. Don't know if this info helps.

Jeff

[TheBillyPilgrim]

Like Liam said, the size comparison to the Starling seals it. Cooper's.